Food

Diet is a local choice. One cannot generalize it for all. For some, there may be a need for animal protein. For others, there is no need or limited requirements! Configuration for diet is complex and local.

This recent evidences counters arguments that since Man used to live in jungles, they were primarily non-vegetarians.

This does not allow Vegan Militancy! Neither it allows Mass Animal Slaughter as it happens worldwide now!

One must not force diet options globally! Decentralize and go local for food and energy!

A collection of 780,000-year-old edible plants found in Israel is the largest and most diverse in the Levantine corridor linking Africa and Eurasia

06/12/2016

A tiny grape pip (scale 1mm), left on the ground some 780,000 years ago, is one of more than 9,000 remains of edible plants discovered in an old Stone Age site in Israel on the shoreline of Lake Hula in the northern Jordan valley, dating back to the Acheulian culture from 1.75-0.25 million years ago. The floral collection provides rich testimony of the plant-based diet of our prehistoric ancestors.

While around the world remains of Paleolithic plants are scarce, this unique macro-botanical assemblage has allowed researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Bar Ilan University to study the vegetal diet of humans from early-mid-Pleistocene, which is central to understanding the evolution, adaptation and exploitation of the environment by hominins.

The findings were recovered during archeological excavations at the waterlogged site of Gesher Benot Ya’aqov, where the earliest evidence of human-controlled fire in western Asia was discovered in recent years.

Prof. Naama Goren-Inbar of the Institute of Archeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who conducted the excavations with colleagues, have long studied findings of hominid occupations in the Levantine Corridor, through which several hominin waves dispersed out of Africa.

In a research paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), titled “The plant component of an Acheulian diet: a case study from Gesher Benot Ya‘aqov, Israel”, Prof. Goren-Inbar reveals the discovery of the ancient macrobotanical remains, which for the first time indicate to the rich variety of plant assortments and subsistence opportunities that were available to the early humans on the transition from an African-based to a Eurasian diet.

“In recent years we were met with a golden opportunity to reveal numerous remains of fruits, nuts and seeds from trees, shrubs and the lake, alongside the remains of animals and man-made stone tools in one locality,” Prof. Goren-Inbar said.

Of the remains found on site, Prof. Goren-Inbar and Dr. Yoel Melamed of the Faculty of Life Sciences at Bar Ilan University have identified 55 species of edible plants, including seeds, fruits, nuts, leaves, stems, roots and tubers.

The findings, many of them minor in size, have been preserved for hundreds of thousands of years thanks to the damp conditions in the vicinity of the site, said Dr. Melamed. The basalts under and in the site were dated by Ar/Ar and the dates were further confirmed by results of paleomagnetic analyses.

“This region is known for the wealth of plants, but what surprised us were the sources of plant food coming from the lake. We found more than 10 species that existed here in prehistoric times but no longer today, such as two types of water nuts, from which seven were edible,” explained Dr. Melamed.

The site was submerged under the Jordan River and the Hula Lake in conditions of humidity and lack of oxygen, aided by the fast covering of layers of sediments, in which archaeologists also found stone tools and animal fossils.

Gesher Benot Ya’aqov is also the place where Prof. Goren-Inbar found the earliest evidence of the use of fire in Eurasia (LINK). “The use of fire is very important because a lot of the plants are toxic or inedible. Using fire, like roasting nuts and roots for example, allows the use of various parts of the plant and increases the diversity of the plant component of the Acheulian diet, alongside aquatic and terrestrial fauna,” said Prof. Goren-Inbar.

The use of fire and the availability of a diverse range of flora highlight the ability of prehistoric man to adjust to a new environment, to exploit the environment for his own benefit and to colonize beyond Africa.

I have never seen ignorant junta as I observe now in last decade! With increasing purchasing power, our common sense is diminishing fast! 😀

This also testify my theory that bacteria are faithful weapons of mother nature, used to clean the debris. Pre-cut is प्राणविहीन. Without प्राण, you are dead! Dead are registered in Mother nature’s register for cleaning! So bacteria like Samonella!

I know couple of colleagues affected by typhoid recently after eating at costly most restaurant of city! 🙂 Typhoid is not just due to exposure to fecal in food items but also eating dead food like salad.

This also testify my theory that bacteria are faithful weapons of mother nature, used to clean the debris. Pre-cut is प्राणविहीन. Without प्राण, you are dead! Dead are registered in Mother nature’s register for cleaning! So bacteria like Samonella!

I know couple of colleagues affected by typhoid recently after eating at costly most restaurant of city! 🙂 Typhoid is not just due to exposure to fecal in food items but also eating dead food like salad.

PRE-CUT SALAD MAY ENCOURAGE GROWTH OF SALMONELLA

Pre-prepared salads are sold increasingly commonly in grocery stores, said Freestone. They also appear in fast food and in airline meals. However, few studies had previously investigated the behavior of Salmonella within ready-to-eat bagged salad, she said. “We wanted to investigate what happens to Salmonella in a bag of salad to better understand the potential risks to consumers and inform future research on reducing attachment of this pathogen to salad leaves. This study is part of our ongoing research into ways to reduce the risk of Salmonella persisting and growing when it is present in bagged salad.”

अन्नबाहुल्य (Power of Food Abundance) does not only mean growing food but also supplying food to the consumers efficiently, storing food without loss.

Those Supply chain experts, super market apologists, MBAs in operations : do you have answer for this? Half of the food is wasted in the chain! Longer the chain, dearer is the waste. More processing => More waste.

Where is all your expertise? Or you are groomed to maximize profit only?

Even govt(s) promote it. In holy name of food processing and packaged food. Even so called Swadesi pracharak(s) do it.

What do we do at the end? Waste!

Remember few eternal rules of the food chain.

1) Food is not plastic that you can transport from anywhere to anywhere.

2) Shorter the food chain, better is the management.

3) Localization is solution. Globalization of food is a global curse.

4) Food is not furniture that you seek perfection. Perfect shape, perfect color and perfect smell is height of foolishness catered and served by Greedy sellers. Due to it, farmers have to discard harvest for no buyers for not so perfect yield.

“Food waste is today’s hot topic. In fact, according to scientific surveys in Switzerland, 300 kg of perfectly good food ends up in the bin per person each year. However, this number encompasses the entire shopping basket, from yoghurt to drinkable leftover wine and two-day-old bread.”

One in two potatoes thrown out

“Overall, potato waste is also very high in Switzerland,” says the ETH doctoral student in light of the results of his analyses. From the field to the home, 53 percent of conventionally produced table potatoes are wasted, and this figure rises to 55 percent for those produced organically. For processing potatoes, the figures are lower: 41 percent of organic potatoes are discarded, compared to 46 percent of those from conventional production. The higher waste proportion for conventionally farmed processing potatoes is connected to the overproduction of this crop, which barely ever occurs with organic farming.

Waste is greater for organically farmed table potatoes because these fail to satisfy the high quality standards more often than conventional ones. “After all, consumers have the same expectations of quality and appearance for organic production as they do for conventional.”

Losses occur at all stages of the supply chain: up to a quarter of the table potato harvest falls by the wayside even at the producer stage. A further 12 to 24 percent are rejected by wholesalers during sorting. Just one to three percent fall between the cracks at retailers, and a further 15 percent are wasted in households.

Although private households account for a relatively small proportion of potato waste, Willersinn says their contribution has the most impact: in private homes, most of the unused potatoes end up in the bin bag or on the compost heap. Producers, traders and processors, on the other hand, recycle the vast majority of waste into animal fodder or, to a lesser extent, into feedstock for biogas plants.

Being part of farming community. You don’t grow food but you live with farmers. So you get fresh authentic food.

If this is not possible to manage, we appoint one person to manage food for us. Village level vendor whose sole job is to collect food from farmers and cater it by charging nominal amount for his survival. ( Otherwise profit on food was the worse karma as prescribed in our culture. )

Where are we now?

We have processed and packaged food.
We have mobile app to order our food.
We have frozen meals.
We have restaurant at every 200 m.

Is this sign of progress? 🙂

I see this situation as result of utter ignorance about food and height of laziness.

With so many middle tiers between you and farmer, purity, authenticity and quality is impossible. And with each tier, there are chemicals added for preservation.

Our laziness is so high that we blindly trust food packet labels and marketing gimmicks as truth! 🙂

If you are really a health conscious, want to serve your billion+ body cells their right food and by that doing their seva, get rid of all modern layers.

Be a farmer.
Or befriend a farmer.
Or be the part of community where everyone co-operate and search right food for everyone. The non-profit co-operation.

Autochthonous means Originating where it is found. Of rocks, deposits, etc.; found where they and their constituents were formed. No difference when we talk about humans. Or Human-Gau relation. Or Human-Horse relation. Or Human-Dog relation.

The ideal and smooth relation is Autochthonous.

This is the reason I am firm believer and follower of localization of knowledge and skills. Esp when it is related to health as health decides how we act for our dharma. It is one of the laws of nature that wherever we find a disease, in its very neighbourhood we do find cure for the same disease; that is to say, for the diseases prevailing in India, we need not go beyond India to procure medicines to efficiently cure the disease, for there is in India itself plenty of medicines to counteract the prevailing diseases.

Last Sunday, my doctor friend and I were on shopping survey. We visited hyper shopping places in the city to study different processed food items and their ingredients.

We found many shocking ingredients. Maggi is just a tip of the iceberg. There are many dangers beyond heavy metals.

First shock was canola oil in feeding formula powder for infants!

This is insane. Canola oil for infants?

Like all modern vegetable oils, canola oil goes through the process of refining, bleaching and degumming — all of which involve high temperatures or chemicals of questionable safety. And because canola oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which easily become rancid and foul-smelling when subjected to oxygen and high temperatures, it must be deodorized. The standard deodorization process removes a large portion of the omega-3 fatty acids by turning them into trans fatty acids. Although the Canadian government lists the trans content of canola at a minimal 0.2 percent, research at the University of Florida at Gainesville, found trans levels as high as 4.6 percent in commercial liquid oil. The consumer has no clue about the presence of trans fatty acids in canola oil because they are not listed on the label.

A 2014 review article published in “Vascular Pharmacology” discussed the detrimental effects of heated oils on cardiovascular health, such as vascular inflammation and arteriosclerosis. [1]

Besides, 90% of Canola oil comes from Genetically Modified Rape seeds. GMO crops demands more pesticides so they come with high level of toxic chemicals. It affects body [2]:

PS: You may find many researchers in support of canola. But beyond that, use this thumb rules to select oil:

1) Can your region grow this oil seeds?
2) Is it obtained from Genetically modified crop or not?
3) Is it obtained from cold-press method of high heating chemical process?

Suggestions:

Your breastfeeding has everything that your infant need. Never substitute it with feeding formula. If you cannot feed for some reasons, use Desi cow’s milk. There are many home-made formulas that you can prepare using grains. Try them. Research about them. But never think about feeding formulas.

Always see ingredient and if you find canola oil, avoid. It is not for us.

Any oil that is not obtained by cold-press is not worth. (Although pressing and grinding produces heat through friction, the temperature must not rise above 120°F (49°C) for any oil to be considered cold pressed. Cold pressed oils are produced at even lower temperatures. Cold pressed oils retain all of their flavor, aroma, and nutritional value.). Gradually, find sources of such oil. Or buy your own home-use micro oil mill.

Processed food is fundamentally faulty from roots. So against the Art and Science of cooking. Try N-numbers of measures but it will remain life-consuming weapon. Weapon that can silently kill the generation after generation until civilization/community/nation.

Some of my nephew’s friends are migrants. Well-to-do migrants from other states. Settling down in our city. So these families often eat outside. Almost everyday, something comes from outside. Junk or almost junk.

These kids don’t really like home cooked food now. Addicted to the taste of junk.

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Case Study 2
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One couple working in IT in pune I know.1 Gas cylinder works for almost 1 year for them. You can imagine their usage.

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Why are we so addicted to junk food?

Our gut microbes dictate what we eat. If you have a healthy gut, the microbes will direct you to foods that are required by your body for fitness. However if your gut microbes are disturbed they may start cravings for food that destroys your health. Parents of autistic children noticed food cravings in their children which aggravated their conditions. They then devised diets that controlled this and led to improved behavior. Many of them blamed the vaccines and the consequent use of antibiotics for vaccine after effects for this. They have been traditionally ridiculed for their ‘strange theories’ that don’t fit the industrial model of medicine. However researchers are now confirming what these ‘unscientific’ parents discovered.

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Now my dear doctor friends debate with me that it is safer to give antibiotics to avoid risks. What risks? Why are we so fearful and fear mongering? Why can’t doctor sense right condition and avoid unnecessary antibiotics and by that protect GUT microbes?

Or at least, think and prefer pause on your eating cravings. Even toxins rich food cooked at home is worth compare to junk/restaurant food.

Reason? When cooked at home, it is full of microbes suited to you and family. So relatively safe. Outside food?

All random, chaotic microbes with your food. You never know when they will alter your eating habits and control you like slave. 🙂

Read this if you are interested more.

Research

Is eating behavior manipulated by the gastrointestinal microbiota? Evolutionary pressures and potential mechanisms

Like microscopic puppetmasters, microbes may control the eating behavior of hosts through a number of potential mechanisms including microbial manipulation of reward pathways, production of toxins that alter mood (shown in pink, diffusing from a microbe), changes to receptors including taste receptors, and hijacking of neurotransmission via the vagus nerve (gray), which is the main neural axis between the gut and the brain.

Abstract

Microbes in the gastrointestinal tract are under selective pressure to manipulate host eating behavior to increase their fitness, sometimes at the expense of host fitness. Microbes may do this through two potential strategies: (i) generating cravings for foods that they specialize on or foods that suppress their competitors, or (ii) inducing dysphoria until we eat foods that enhance their fitness. We review several potential mechanisms for microbial control over eating behavior including microbial influence on reward and satiety pathways, production of toxins that alter mood, changes to receptors including taste receptors, and hijacking of the vagus nerve, the neural axis between the gut and the brain. We also review the evidence for alternative explanations for cravings and unhealthy eating behavior. Because microbiota are easily manipulatable by prebiotics, probiotics, antibiotics, fecal transplants, and dietary changes, altering our microbiota offers a tractable approach to otherwise intractable problems of obesity and unhealthy eating.

I saw monster behind it. This ad and many like them injected Filtered oil in our पाकशाला (Kitchen? :O ), replacing local ghani oil.

Like Ghee, Oil too is a Hero. Continuous brainwashing turned it as Villain 🙁 😡

Like this 25 years old Ad, many ads are changing our habits! 🙂 Who cares? 😀

Simple rule : If someone is selling you by TV ads. Ignore them. 🙂

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk8Z0WbSWV0

All mass mediums are designed for the purpose of mass perception management.

Behind the innocent scenes like this, they start controlling public psyche. Result is evident in society.

We cannot stop generations until we correct our food sources. But can you imagine generation after generation without real oil intake?

For last 30+ years, we did not get real oil or real ghee. We stopped consuming real oil and real ghee and started embracing factory made refined oil and ghee like fat from dairy. All because of रूप, रंग,स्वादके चक्करमें! Remember that Dhara oil’s tempting Jalebi ad? Yeah, that is when we surrendered to refined oils! 😀

And not only this. Our overall oil intake is also increased manifold!

One thing if we all should do to correct our life is to get unrefined raw oil. And ethically produced desi Gau ghee. At any cost. If we really want to save future generations.

Lack oil means what?

– Children without massage – Growth not regulated.
– Aggression tendency increased overall. More anger = More crimes
– Weak muscles and weak arteries = Arthritis and Heart attacks in early age
– Brain development impaired

Oil is very essential for body’s lubrication.
Oil is essential to keep Vayu (Vata) under control. There are at least 100+ sickness documented due to Vayu out of control.
Oil intake in food during monsoon keeps Vata in control.
Ghee is essential brain food.
Sesame oil keeps Vata and Kapha under control
Oil can reduce obesity as it is मेदहर.
Oil can increase weight as it is also मांसवर्धक
Oil is a great preservative so it can keep our probiotic food healthy for entire year (Pickles)

Oil play critical role in our diet. From lubrication to antioxidants, they provide important support to our body cell ecology.

Excess of oil in food is harmful and no oil in food is also harmful. Moderate usage can work as boon. Unrefined oil is must. Avoid packaged and processed oil – it is unhealthy. Avoid refined oil. If possible, find organically grown seeds(groundnuts for Gujarat).

Due to bombardment of all advertisements, consumers are always confused about best selection.

There is simple rule: Eat whatever mother nature can grow in abudance in your environment. As shown in map, if we divide Bharat in three parts and locate your residence, you will find best suitable oil for you. Throw all other brands in dustbin.

In terms of Ayurveda, every organism is made up of five layers (पञ्चकोशीय). One of them is प्राणमय कोष – A body layer of प्राण. I have my प्राणमय कोष, you have your own. Our food too have residual प्राण. So our food is mix of cooked and raw food.

Raw food is full of natural prana instilled by parent organism, ultimately by universal source i.e The Sun (Plants/Trees/Animals).

Cooked food is impregnated by prana of fire by which it is cooked. Now this prana’s quality depends upon the quality of combustion and substance used. If cooked on Cow dung cakes or Biogas or wood , it is full of good innocent prana. LPG – not so good prana as it is processed fuel. Microwave – nil as heat is generated by vibration of food molecules and watery content of the food, which actually dissipates whatever remaining prana food had.

Meaning: When सूर्यः (Sun Rays, Wind- Fresh Air in day light) touches water, it becomes nectar/Amrit. When both are missing, water is poison, slow poison.

Cooking in pressure cooker and microwave restricts exposure to Sun rays. Again devoid of prana. Cooking in a kitchen where sun rays cannot reach or water stored in closed containers, not exposed to sun, is not preferable place to cook.

In short, cooking is required to instill additional prana to the dead parts of organisms which we do not eat Raw (Grains mostly). Keep in mind, prana is not Oxygen. Prana is not energy.

Field of Ayurveda is not explored much for finding rational proofs yet. What I shared here is my interpretation. You may not agree. However, you should study facts of modern science studies about microwave cooking.
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Modern science perspective
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In terms of modern physics, our body is electrochemical in nature. Any force that disrupts or changes human electrochemical phenomena will affect the physiology of the body. So our cell phone, our wifi, our microwave – all affect electrochemical imprints of our bodies. Microwave is not an ideal method. It alters DNA. It kills microbial flora of the food.

Side note

Why Did the Russians Ban an Appliance Found in 90% of American Homes?

“The social and demographic factors were nearly twice as important as where one shopped for food in predicting consumption of unhealthy food, according to the study published online by the journal Preventive Medicine.”

Now, further, it says,

“Our findings suggest that interventions that focus on modifying the food retail environment by opening more stores that sell healthy food will have relatively little impact on reducing consumption of unhealthy food,” said Christine Vaughan, lead author of the study and a behavioral scientist at RAND, a nonprofit research organization. “Instead, strategies designed to modify the choices people make about food stand a better chance of reducing consumption of unhealthy foods.”

Understand the highlighted point : You cannot force the horse to drink water at pond if it is not thirsty!

Similarly, if people are Good (with pure innate disposition) then you can expect good laws acceptance in majority. With majority corrupts(Weak/Confused/Chaotic) minds(of varied degree) in society, it is impossible that we will bring law drafts we desire.Acidic conditions (Say Good people in majority) can only turn Blue litmus (Say good law drafts) red and not Basic (Say bad(=corrupt and weak) people in majority).

We also discussed sometime back on this post (Your Innate Nature and Food Selection)

Did Gita mention about food or food habits? Person or food?

In Bhagwad Gita, wherever there is a mention about food, it is about eater and the food itself (4-30, 6-16/17,9-27,1-52).

This suggests that he gives importance to human’s predominant nature and temperament than food itself.

In summary, what you eat is largely based on who you are!! Strive to change self ! Instead of bombarding sermons, be the change agent and transform fellow humans’ lives by triggering change in their innate prakriti. That is what will drive their choices about life, not limited to food!